A Pakistan game show is giving away babies as prizes to winners.
'Aman Ramzan,' a rip-off of 'The Price is Right,' is broadcast for seven hours a day during Ramzan. The host of the game show, Aamir Liaquat Hussain, gave away baby girls to two couple as prizes. Participants have to answer questions related to Quran for which they get prizes such as motorcycles and appliances.
The babies given as prizes were abandoned and looked after by an NGO Chhipa Welfare Association. They claim they receive around 15 abandoned babies every month. "I was really shocked at first. I couldn't believe we were being given this baby girl. I was extremely happy," Suriya Bilqees, said to CNN.
The show is hugely popular in Pakistan, but the host Hussain is surrounded with controversies for mixing religion and entertainment. He supports the idea of giving babies to married couple. "We've created a symbol of peace and love, that's our show's theme - to spread love. I'm setting an example. Giving a childless couple an abandoned child." He plans to give away a baby boy to the n ext winning couple.
Ramzan Chippa, the head of the NGO, defended the idea saying that they give babies only to couples enrolled with their group. He also maintained that abandoned children are generally picked and trained to be suicide bombers and this was a better way to give them a proper life.
"Telling people to take these kids off the rubbish on the streets, raise them and make them a responsible citizen, not to destroy society through terrorism," Hussain said.
Pakistan does not have any adoption laws and the couples receiving babies as prizes will need to apply for guardianship to raise the child.
